Cubicles vs. Open Concept Office Spaces

There are various ways to design your office setup. Depending on the nature of your work, you can choose to have an open office space or opt in for the traditional cubicles. Figuring out which of these is best for you and which will benefit your employees the most is something you need to do. Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of an open office space versus a cubicle so you can make your decision.

Advantages Of An Open Concept Office Space

If there's a lot of interaction and collaboration required between your employees, then it's better to choose an office space with an open design where it will be easy for the employees to mingle with each other. This enables them to talk across the floor without having to physically get up and move around every single time.

If your office is full of social creatures and interaction is a vital element in your business, then this is a great way to design your office. Tear down those doors and have an open door policy. This allows the creativity to flow and enables interactions between managers and bosses and even executives.

An open office creates more room for communication and also provides a minimalist yet contemporary feel to the design. One of the best things about an open space is that an employee is no longer confined to a limited area and they won't get bored in their own space. Open spaces usually have more energy, vibrancy, and ideas flowing across the floor.

Disadvantages Of An Open Concept Office Space

An open office also comes with various disadvantages. One of the most prominent disadvantages is the factor of distraction. If two employees are best friends and sit across from each other, they will have a lot to talk to each other apart from business and this will not benefit you in any way. It's also a lot easier for a group to get carried away in meaningless chatter and this could often result in water cooler gossip being brought straight to the floor.

Sometimes, a few employees may feel left out when they are not too social and other employees are constantly interacting with one another. It's also not that difficult for diseases to spread from an employee to another when there are no barriers between the employees.

Advantages Of A Cubicle

Cubicles have been the traditional office design for years. One of the reasons why they have been so popular is because it helps higher management to maintain privacy. It is difficult for managers and the Human Resource department to openly evaluate an employee when their colleagues are sitting across from them.

If you want to maintain an authoritative position, there needs to be a certain level of secrecy and privacy which can be brought about by the installing of cubicles. It also helps employees stay focused on what they are doing rather than trying to collaborate with each other and waste time in the process.

Disadvantages Of A Cubicle

While employees tend to get distracted in an open concept office space, that is also the risk with a closed cubicle. When employees have privacy, they often tend to drift away from their actual work and get distracted with personal things such as checking their mobile phones or even online shopping. It's actually easier for an employee to get distracted in a cubicle when no one's watching as compared to an open space. This is because the manager is always on watch in an open space and there's always the fear the boss will walk in on you.

Cubicles also tend to create a hierarchy where managers and bosses are aloof from the other employees. This makes it difficult for the employees to approach the upper management and this could lead to a communication gap.

Which One Is Better?

When deciding which design suits your business, you need to know it depends on the kind of business you are running. If your employees can function better as individuals and do not need to collaborate with one another to get the job done, then a closed cubicle may work well for your business. However, if they need constant interaction or if you want everyone to believe that they are one team then an open office space will work well for you.